The Benefit of Things
by Neko-Chan in Wonderland
Summary: Haruhi and Kyoya are a little frustrated with work life, so they entertain each other. Friends with benefits, you could call it. The result: Haruhi loves Tamaki, Tamaki loves Haruhi, but Haruhi is doing WHAT with Kyoya? She will choose...? TamaHaruKyo
1. Kyoya

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Host Club.

**A/N:** I've been dying to write this for so long. It may be a little OOC, but it'll be intense. The Host Club characters needed a little soap opera in their lives. XD

* * *

It's funny that she worked, so coincidentally, at a firm under the Ohtori umbrella. A budding young lawyer surrounded by high expectations, Fujioka Haruhi graduated top of her class at law school, and headed straight for the big times. Imagine his surprise when she came to help him with a lawsuit as an assistant to his lawyer.

"Haruhi?"

"Kyoya-senpai?"

Much blinking and open-mouthed shock followed this sudden meeting.

"Ohtori-sama, you know Fujioka-san?" The older lawyer asked with mild surprise.

"Yes, she was a kohai of mine when we were in high school." Kyoya explained, sitting a little straighter in his desk, clicking his laptop to a close. "We were… in a club together."

Kyoya gave Haruhi that smile and Haruhi coughed to cover up the laughter that nearly overcame her. Oh yes, they were in some club together.

"Well, then. It's a small world, isn't it?"

"Indeed, it is." Kyoya and Haruhi's eyes exchanged playful looks as they shared a private joke.

It's not as if they had been strangers all those years, but their meetings had always been overwhelmed by Tamaki and the twins' excessive personalities. They were on polite speaking terms, occasionally bouncing a sarcastic joke off each other, or helping each other tease Tamaki.

But it was the first time in years that they had seen each other without another Host Club member present. It was slightly strange, but comfortable, of course. They hadn't known each other since high school for nothing.

It became increasingly common for them to see each other, too. It seemed whenever Ohtori Kyoya needed legal help (which was often), the two of them would wind up in the same spacious office together. As Haruhi climbed the ranks and impressed her superiors, they were often alone.

It was odd. Maybe it was the suffocation of the office room, or the stress of work, but each time there would be a little exchange of teasing glances or a subtle twitch at the corner of their lips. It was always unsaid, but always present. Never love, but something cruder than that. It finally came crashing over them under the slight influence of alcohol. They were buzzed, at most, but comfortable enough.

Business parties always had a stiff attitude that was stifling to the two in question. Seeing as they were in their twenties, an age too lively for such events, Haruhi and Kyoya could name many places they'd rather be and many people they'd rather see. But, of course, the practical duo always put work before enjoyment, and that may just be what wound them up in that little predicament in the first place.

"Fujioka-san, you're taking the bus home?"

Several of the high-class people that attended such a party were scandalized at the thought of public transportation. Haruhi tried to wave them away with a light laugh. "Oh you know, I just got out of college not long ago, haven't gotten myself a car yet."

One of her boss's wives had taken a liking to her and was trying to convince her to get a ride home with her and her husband. Her boss said nothing and just stood by their BMW looking very awkward, and Haruhi heavily disliked the idea of being caught in such an awkward circumstance.

So Kyoya decided to lend some assistance.

"I'll take you home." He offered, and Haruhi took up his offer very quickly, laughing airily about how they were old friends with much to catch up about.

The two scooted into the backseat of the limo and let out identical sighs of relief.

"Thanks for that. I really can't imagine getting a ride home from my boss—it's just too weird!" Haruhi started pulling off the fancy cocktail dress as Kyoya's lips parted slightly in surprise. She was wearing a tank top and shorts underneath. How typical. Kyoya pressed his lips to a close and licked them.

He chuckled. "You're still pretty masculine under all that, aren't you?"

"Oh no, Kyoya-senpai. I assure you that under this," she slid her finger tauntingly under the strap of her tank top "I am fully female."

Kyoya smirked and pulled off his jacket, and then his tie. Finally, he unbuttoned the first few buttons in his shirt and stuffed the discarded items unceremoniously by his feet. They shared a short silence now—there was only so much undressing you could do in the backseat of the car without a little awkwardness.

"You tired?" Kyoya asked casually, resting an elbow on the door.

"Not really." Haruhi shrugged in return, undoing the clips in her short-cropped hair.

"Want to go for a drink? I could use one right about now." Kyoya offered.

"You and me both."

That was all that needed to be said before they changed course and landed themselves at the nearest bar. They looked pretty strange, with Haruhi wearing something that looked like she just crawled out bed, and Kyoya looking like he'd just come out of a funeral, but really, the couldn't care less. They chatted, reminisced, and above all, had some nice hard liquor.

Neither of them drank too much, of course. They were both much too practical for that. If Tamaki had been with them, perhaps they would have been goaded into taking a little more alcohol than they could handle, but with just the two of them, there was no need. They scooted back into the limo laughing a little too loud, but still walking in a straight line.

The great thing about Kyoya's driver was that he had a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Meaning, he didn't ask anything, and he never told anything. Basically, he might as well have not been there at all. So he asked no questions as Haruhi directed him to her apartment, or when Kyoya followed her upstairs. The building was surprisingly close to Kyoya's own residence, easily commutable. Of course his sleek bachelor's pad was much more expensive than Haruhi's cozy two room dwelling.

Kyoya commented that it was smaller than he'd expected, and she gave him a piercing look. "Well I'm sorry I don't meet up to your classy tastes."

"Well, you do." She raised her eyebrows. He shrugged. "You just seem better suited for a classier place."

"Like your apartment?"

"… Yes. Something like that."

They became suddenly aware that the door was locked shut and they were standing quite close.

"Care to show me the rest of your apartment?" Kyoya asked, scanning the dining room, living room, and kitchen, all crammed into one big area.

"Well there isn't much else… except the bedroom." Haruhi said slowly, walking toward the only door that wasn't a closet.

"Is it small?"

"Probably smaller than yours."

"Well, why don't we see?"

Haruhi opened the door carefully and entered the room, which was fairly immaculate for a young person's bedroom.

Kyoya leaned against the doorframe behind Haruhi, his socked foot brushing against her bare ankle as he did. "Yes, I am not surprised to see that it is smaller than mine." He was now standing so close his breath tickled the back of her neck.

They stood still like this for another long moment, as the clock ticked through the silence. Haruhi started to turn around to face him, but Ohtori Kyoya was not a patient man.

He seized her shoulders and spun her around. "Damn it, how long are you going to make me wait?" Before Haruhi could offer a retort, he smothered her with a kiss.

It was building up for a long time. Both of them had a quite a bit of tension building between them, especially since neither had been in a relationship in quite some time. It wasn't love, or even the slightest hint of affection. It was just a mess of hands and legs and body parts melting into each other.

Just pure, unfettered lust.

At first they thought it was just a one-night stand sort of thing. They lay side-by-side on Haruhi's slightly lumpy mattress, Kyoya lighting a cigarette, both laughing about what the hell they had just done.

"I hope you're not very attached to me." Kyoya said finally, following his speech with a long drag of his cigarette. He didn't remember when he had started smoking, but his roommate from college had been a chain smoker, and eventually he found himself having a light or two every now and then.

Haruhi didn't mind the smoking. She was used to it, since there had been a lot of cigarette smoke wherever Ranka worked. She laughed and shook her head. "Don't flatter yourself Ohtori-sama. You're not my type."

"And you're not mine." He smirked and reached for his glasses. "Now that we've come to this agreement, I'd like to assert that this was quite fun. When did the holy virgin of the Host Club learn to do that?"

"College is a place where you learn a lot of things, it seems." Haruhi gave the cigarette a meaningful look.

"Oh yes." Kyoya took one last drag before putting out the cigarette on a ceramic coaster left lying around on the nightstand. He leaned over and teased her neck with slight nips. "A lot of things." There was a moment of silence filled once again with just clock ticking, although this time accompanied by the occasional creak of a bedspring.

"We both lead fairly stressful lives." Kyoya murmured, still kissing Haruhi.

"Nn… yes…" Haruhi managed through slight gasps as Kyoya's fingers wandered.

"So, in order to… _relieve_ our stress…" His breath caught a moment as Haruhi brushed teasingly against him. "… We should do this more often."

"Agreed." Haruhi whispered into his ear, before the two of them were lost once again, tangled in each other's limbs.

* * *

So, this became a repeated offense. It cured their boredom and sexual frustrations, and with no strings attached, they could still maintain a friendship without the complications and attachments of a relationship. It was, in essence, friends with benefits, and neither had a problem with it. It was just something that happened every few weeks, sometimes a month, after the stress of work got the better of them. However, they agreed that if either of them were to be in a relationship, they would stop. It was the unquestioned promise.

The doorbell resounded through Haruhi's apartment, and Haruhi pulled away from Kyoya in surprise. It wasn't that late at night, so someone could have easily decided to drop by… but it was rare. The two struggled to button anything that had ended up unbuttoned and straighten themselves up in a frantic rush as Haruhi headed towards the door. Kyoya quickly placed himself in the kitchen area and poured himself a glass of water.

Haruhi unlatched the door and pulled it open to see a cheerful blonde smiling at her, still in a suit and tie.

"Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi sputtered in surprise.

"How many times have I told you to call me Tamaki-_kun_, Haruhi?" Tamaki corrected, pulling his tie looser on around his neck. "I was just in the neighborhood when I thought of you and decided I'd pop a visit. Sorry I didn't call ahead of time." Tamaki presented her with a genuine smile that she just had to return, and suddenly she felt ashamed of her recent activities. Tamaki's innocence could make a saint feel like he'd sinned.

"Oh, Kyoya, I didn't see you there. What brings you here?" Tamaki glanced up at Kyoya with an expression of pleasant surprise. However, there was nothing suspicious about seeing a close friend of theirs standing in Haruhi's kitchen with a glass of water. Well, Haruhi doubted Tamaki was even capable of suspecting something as scandalous as what had been happening in Haruhi's apartment previous to his arrival.

"I was dropping her off on the way back from a business party, and I came in for a glass of water." Kyoya explained with a perfect poker face.

"… I didn't know you drank tap water." Tamaki looked puzzled, eyeing the water still bubbling from being poured into the glass.

"I don't… I just… didn't want to be rude." Kyoya placed the cup carefully on the counter and Haruhi pretended to be offended.

"I'm sorry I can't afford to drink mineral water all the time." She huffed, smoothing out the wrinkles on her dress.

"You look… great by the way. I haven't seen you in a dress in a long time." Tamaki said shyly, carefully, and Haruhi's face tinted slightly pink at the compliment.

"Thanks… You don't look bad yourself." Her gaze flitted from the floor to his face, and then down again.

"Thanks…"

Kyoya cleared his throat. The feeling of being the third wheel was becoming unbearably suffocating. "I'll be taking my leave then." He said politely, collecting his jacket from the coat rack and heading for the door. "It was nice to see you, Tamaki. And I'll see you at work, Haruhi." He nodded to both of them as he passed.

"Nice to see you too, Kyoya." Tamaki smiled, but his eyes remained glued to Haruhi.

Haruhi looked to Kyoya's back, wanting to say something, but at the same time not knowing what to say. "Bye. Thanks for the ride." _In more ways than one…_ Haruhi thought, and her cheeks burned at thinking such things with Tamaki in the room.

Kyoya paused at the door, but then kept walking out without responding. He shut the door behind him, and Tamaki and Haruhi just stared at each other with small, awkward smiles.

"Hi."

"Hi."

The sound of traffic and a car door shutting filled the silence between them.

"Do you want something to drink?" Haruhi offered meekly, not knowing what else to say.

"Um… c-coffee… if you have some instant coffee, that would be nice…" He smiled, and she smiled. She could imagine he didn't have much chances to enjoy the commoner things he so loved in all the heat of his job managing the Suoh business alongside his father.

She set some water to boil and took out his favorite brand of instant coffee—the one that she regularly drank to stay up late nights and make early meetings.

"It's been a while since I've been here…" Tamaki called from the doorway, now taking off his coat and hanging it. He rolled up his sleeves and joined her in the kitchen. "It's been a while since I've seen you, too."

"Yeah, we haven't gotten together in a while." Haruhi laughed nervously, shifting her weight in front of the stove.

"I've been thinking about you." Tamaki said suddenly.

"… Me too." Haruhi felt a pang of guilt as she lied. With work, and her little escapade with Kyoya, she hadn't thought of Tamaki in a while. But now that he was here, it was hard to think about anything else. It was so different than being around Kyoya. Kyoya made her shift uncomfortably, her body aching with the desire to throw itself against him. Tamaki… Tamaki made her stomach flutter and her cheeks flush with embarrassment, even though nothing embarrassing had happened. She wondered whether this was the difference between infatuation and love.

"So um… there's a play coming out… it's a comedy, and the cast is going to be great… I really want to see it!" Tamaki said quickly, his face shining with anticipation.

"Well… I'm sure you'll get tickets." Haruhi teased slightly, even though she knew what he was leading up to.

"Yes well… I was wondering if you wanted to go with me." He said finally, looking down, his face flushed pink.

"… Sure. I think it'll be fun." Haruhi grinned.

Tamaki's head snapped up and he looked elated. "G-Great. Is next Friday good? At eight?"

"Sounds perfect. But no limos, you know I hate that." Haruhi agreed, nudging him gently with her shoulder.

"Anything you want." With that he leaned over and kissed her gently, quickly on the cheek. It was so innocent and tame, but all the same, Haruhi was sent into an irreversible state of happiness.

The kettle whistled and Haruhi turned away from him to answer it. As she stared into the water bubbling up at her, an image of Kyoya sitting alone in his limo entered her mind. She felt slightly guilty, but she would have to end it with him. It was the unsaid promise. But…

* * *

Drama, drama! XD Review please!


	2. Tamaki

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Ouran Host Club.

**A/N:** Second chapter time… I haven't started procrastinating on this one yet. XD

* * *

Haruhi entered the already familiar office with resolve. She would tell him. She would definitely tell him. They had promised, they _knew_ that if either of them started dating someone, it would stop.

It had to stop.

Still, part of Haruhi felt terribly guilty, and a small pinprick of something else she couldn't really place. But the innocent Tamaki suspected absolutely nothing, and trusted her to such an extent that she felt even guiltier continuing the affair. She couldn't do that to someone like Tamaki. It would be like pouring gasoline over a field of flowers.

Yet the moment she entered the office she forgot the well-recited words she had prepared to present him. Kyoya was sitting, as usual, in that big leather chair, brow furrowed as he shuffled through some papers. He adjusted his glasses in that endearing way and his lips twisted in frustration.

"Kyoya…" She didn't remember when she had dropped the "senpai" at the end of his name, but she just then realized the informality she used when she addressed him. She wondered if their coworkers suspected anything.

Kyoya's gaze snapped up and the creases on his forehead smoothed out instantly at the sight of her. "Haruhi…" He smiled and stood up, setting down the packet he was just about to open. He strode around his desk to meet her. "It's been a while since we've seen each other…"

"Yeah… Not since Friday." They hadn't seen each other since their encounter with Tamaki, and it was now Wednesday. She just didn't know how to face him, and didn't quite trust herself with him either.

Kyoya chuckled. "No wonder it's been such a stressful week. I've missed our little heart-to-hearts." Haruhi smiled and dropped her gaze to her shoes in spite of the situation. It's not as if they did nothing but unwind each other's pent up desires. They also spent a good amount of time chatting about work, trashing their colleagues, and laughing at how petty and ridiculous the people around them were. She had admittedly missed Kyoya's witty sarcasm and cynical remarks as well. He was the only one who could match her in dry humor, and made things more interesting with his added ego, something she lacked. Or at least she liked to think she lacked it.

As she was running her mind through these thoughts, she noticed his shoes were nearly touching hers. Her breath caught for a moment. She could either back away with her eyes glued to the floor to abruptly say what she had come here to say, or she could look up. Looking up would make things even harder than they already were. But…

Haruhi's gaze lifted. Kyoya's eyes were staring at her with that hungry intensity that inevitably followed an advance of sorts. He tended to be very silent about what he wanted, but his pleading eyes would say it all.

"Did you lock the door?" He asked in a low, rough voice.

Haruhi paused. She had, as reflex, locked his office door. She seldom entered without hearing the silvery click behind her. "Y-yes."

Haruhi was beginning to realize she had a weakness—a very bad, consequential weakness. That weakness was his intense, pleading eyes. A part of both Haruhi and Kyoya needed each other because they spent so much of their time alone, surrounded by people they couldn't stand. So Haruhi could do nothing but give in as he covered her mouth with his. Within moments they were panting and scrambling to pull each other's clothes clumsily out of the way. It didn't take long before Haruhi was pressed against the wall, Kyoya upon her, both stifling each other's cries and groans with crushing kisses.

When they were finally satisfied, the two proceeded to fix their appearances. This was done in silence as they recovered from the sudden bout of passion. They avoided eye contact until each looked the same as they had before, both being slightly embarrassed at their actions only moments before. It was always like this. Both Haruhi and Kyoya were a little shy to an extent, but neither would dare admit it to the other.

But this time, that wasn't exactly the most pressing thing on Haruhi's mind. She'd done it again—she'd been goaded into another rendezvous by his slightest demand. Finally she sighed (rather loudly), drawing Kyoya's eyes to her. Haruhi looked at him with an apologetic face.

"Kyoya…we have to stop doing this." She said finally.

"If you've been suddenly attacked by a bad case of morals, I refuse." Kyoya lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"N-no… that's not it…" Haruhi bit her lip. "Well, after you left on Friday…" Haruhi trailed off, but really, she didn't need to say anything more.

An uncomfortable silence passed between them, in which Kyoya's eyes disappeared behind the glare of his glasses. Finally Kyoya smiled and spoke in voice that sounded more than a little forced. "It took him long enough. Don't think I wasn't expecting it, the way you two were giving each other those silly grins and school girl blushes." He nudged her. "Congratulations. Damn it, looks like I'll actually have to find myself a girlfriend now."

Haruhi blinked a moment, surprised at how smoothly things went. She was much too dense to notice his strained tone and stiff posture. She decided it was only appropriate to follow up with a matching joke. "I'm pretty sure every secretary in the building will be ready and willing to take up your offer, including the married ones, if you like the thrill."

Haruhi smiled and Kyoya smiled and the two parted ways with a friendly wave, as if there had been no previous exchange of bodily fluids less than five minutes ago.

Kyoya walked slowly back to his chair and seated himself. He suddenly felt irritated and restless as he stared at the paperwork in front of him. He sighed and leaned back, his thoughts still lingering on the way she gasped and squirmed when he…

* * *

Haruhi yawned as she crawled into the backseat of the limo with Kyoya. "Ugh, being tired is no good tonight." She sighed to nobody as she slumped back against the leather upholstery. Kyoya joined her side a moment following before shutting the door after him.

"Your sick act was brilliant." He let out a sigh of his own, pulling off his jacket with relief. "Of course I had to be chivalrous and make sure you got home safe, right?" Kyoya said airily, waving his fingers in a mockingly princely manner.

Haruhi smiled and ran her fingers through her hair. "Well I had to get out of that god awful party somehow."

"Thanks for that." Kyoya leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and folding his hands between them. With his head drooped, hair falling over his glasses, he looked for a moment as if he was praying.

Haruhi chuckled at that thought. Kyoya praying would certainly be a ridiculous sort of thing. Kyoya turned his head towards her at the slightly laughter, but remained slouched over with a crooked grin. "What are you laughing about?"

"I was just thinking how utterly backwards the world would be if Ohtori Kyoya got on his knees and prayed." Haruhi admitted through a twisted smile. The thought was too funny to keep to herself.

"Oh yes. I would say that the day after, Tamaki would announce that he preferred men over women and the twins would be elected as saints." Kyoya nodded, straightening and leaning back against the seat. "Oh yes. And Mori would utter a five page monologue."

Haruhi's hand flew to her mouth as she let out muffled giggles. The thought of Mori speaking more than one sentence at a time was frightening, indeed. "Not to mention Hani would start riding motorcycles."

"A full-blown Harley Davidson with flames painted on the sides." Kyoya said with such a somber expression that Haruhi couldn't help but fall back against the seat with laughter.

The two exchanged grins. "Want to know a secret though?" Kyoya said after a pause.

"A secret about you? How could I pass off an opportunity to hear a secret about the mysterious Ohtori Kyoya, the Dark Knight of Japan? I promise I won't leak it to the tabloids." Haruhi's eyebrows arched in curiosity and she tilted her head to the side, leaning towards him.

He also leaned closer, until their faces were less than a foot apart. "In the quiet hours of night, when nobody is looking, the Dark Knight does indeed pray."

There was a pause between them until Haruhi straightened the angled position of her head. "I think I should call Hani and ask him if he'd give me a ride on his motorcycle."

Kyoya chuckled. "I've heard Mori is signing a record deal."

"Wouldn't be surprised. Pray tell, excuse the pun, what _does_ such a rich and powerful man with women and men alike falling at his feet have to pray for?" Haruhi's back hit the seat with sudden force as she leaned back quickly.

Kyoya eyed her through his glasses with an unreadable expression, a flicker of softness appearing in them for the most fleeting moment. "Now why would the Dark Knight reveal such a thing to his Joker? The answer should be plain: he prays for the things he doesn't have and wishes he did. You won't hear anything further from me."

"Well." A smirk played on Haruhi's lips. "I did learn you have a surprising knowledge about American superheroes."

"Not really, Batman versus Joker is quite common knowledge." Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Classic, really."

"Maybe if you grew up rich and surrounded by dainty foreign things and excessive free time." Haruhi huffed, crossing her legs.

"You know my childhood had much more than that." Kyoya said sharply, not wanting to be degraded to the position of some of his schoolmates who hardly had to work a moment in their easy childhood.

Haruhi looked towards him with a hint of regret in her pursed lips. "I suppose that was unfair of me to say."

"Quite unfair."

"I'll make it up to you."

"You always do."

They shared a funny sort of awkward silence, with Haruhi feeling odd about how quickly he responded and Kyoya feeling embarrassed about the response itself.

Kyoya broke the moment by brushing a small green bit of leaf from her hair. They stared at each other and they could feel that rush in the rapid hammering of their hearts. Haruhi's was pattering at a steadily climbing pace and Kyoya's was already screaming in his ribcage. His hand grasped the back of her neck as he pulled her in for a long kiss, pushing her backwards against the seat. The soft sound of breathing was the only thing that filled the silence as their slow kisses prolonged. It was when Kyoya started gently sliding his hand up her dress that she pulled away, knowing that she had to stop before her mind was overcome by her senses.

"Kyoya, we need to stop."

"That tired?"

"No… I thought we had an agreement."

Kyoya's eyes flashed with realization and he quickly pulled himself off of her, scooting to the opposite end of the seat. "Sorry… I sort of forgot in the moment…" Kyoya stared out the window, irritated. He was not the type to forget things, especially such important things involving his two best friends. But the way she ran her fingers through her hair—such a simple gesture—clouded all reasonable thought processes in his mind. It was irritating and pathetic of him, especially for someone who he just wanted to fool around with. Kyoya had never had a serious girlfriend, but rather a history of women who he liked to fool around with. It was unlike him to let such a woman make him forget important things.

"Do you want to go out for a drink?" He asked. "A good-natured friendly drink, of course. Perfect for avoiding paperwork." Kyoya added hastily, trying to sound as casual as he possibly could. The naked truth was that he just didn't want to say goodbye so soon, when he could spend hours more with her.

"Sorry, Kyoya, but could you please just drop me home?" Haruhi averted her eyes and ran her tongue over her dry lips. "I have a date with Tamaki tonight. That's why I needed to get out early."

"Oh." Was all Kyoya could manage to say. It was hard even for the Dark Knight himself to ignore the sinking feeling that was spreading through his chest. "Well then, that's fine. I suppose this means I'll actually have to do my paperwork. We can have a drink another time."

"Of course." Haruhi smiled, before the two suddenly found the passing cars very interesting and turned their gazes to the windows.

The rest of the car ride as spent in an awkward silence, and they parted with an even more awkward and rather stiff goodbye. Kyoya fell back against the seat as the sound of the door shutting resounded through the emptiness of the backseat. Of course he was lying about the paperwork. "Hey… could we just… drive around for a while?" He asked the driver tiredly.

The driver tightened his grasp on the steering wheel with a rush of pity for the loneliness he sensed in the young man's voice. "As you wish, Ohtori-sama."

* * *

Haruhi climbed up to her apartment slowly, her feet thudding heavily on the stairs. She stared blankly at the stained carpet and sighed. It seemed she'd been doing that a lot lately. She hadn't been dense enough not to hear the disappointment in Kyoya's voice, and felt somewhat guilty for leaving him hanging like that. But then she felt stupid. It's not like he was her boyfriend or anything. Just… a good friend who could match her in wit and who she decided to have fun with out of boredom.

But today would be her date with Tamaki. Something fluttered absurdly inside her and a grin crept into her face. She climbed the last flight with slightly bouncier steps. She entered her apartment and threw off the uncomfortable dress she had worn. She switched to a casual top and nice skirt, and after a moment's thought, slid shorts on under the skirt. Haruhi never did feel comfortable in just a skirt. She was just sliding some clips into her hair when her doorbell rang. She practically jumped at the sound, and nearly tripped on he way to the door. She swung it open with an uncontrollably wide smile.

"Hi Tamaki-kun." She said a bit breathlessly.

"Good evening, Haruhi." He looked very nice, she had to admit, in his clean white shirt and dark jeans, his wrist adorned with several bracelets, as usual. It seemed Tamaki wore more jewelry than most girls. Haruhi slid her feet into some comfortable shoes (no heels, thank god) and the two loped their way down the stairs at an easy pace, laughing.

The play was indeed funny, with plenty of witty jokes that reminded her of the jokes that passed between her and Kyoya. But that was the only time she thought of him, promise. Well, except that time they passed that little boy with a Batman toy. Haruhi giggled slightly despite herself.

Most of the time, she just thought of Tamaki, the way he tossed his head back when he laughed, very differently from how Kyoya leaned forward when he laughed. Wait, how did Kyoya come into that thought?

It didn't matter. It was just for the sake of comparison, that's all. As they exited the theatre, still recalling some of the particularly funny moments in the play, Tamaki shyly slid his hand into hers. Haruhi's mouth twitched into an amused smile. He was really just like a little boy, grinning in that silly way over simple handholding. Haruhi leaned against him and they walked slowly, talking about things that didn't really matter. Really, Haruhi could never be like this with Kyoya. It would be weird. If Haruhi and Kyoya were a couple, they would be the type to laugh at affectionate couples walking hand-in-hand like this.

Wait. What was she thinking now?

Just for comparison's sake of course.

After a short stroll the two returned to the car, Tamaki graciously opening the door for Haruhi. Seriously, that man was a host by nature. Haruhi crossed her legs as Tamaki walked around the car to join her on the driver's side.

"Where to now?"

"A drink perhaps?"

It was around eleven, which was fairly early on Haruhi's terms.

"Sounds good." Tamaki paused before putting the key into the ignition. Haruhi blinked a moment before she realized that he was a few inches closer than he had been a second ago. By the time this processed in her mind he was already kissing her.

It was sweet, it really was. A very sweet kiss, but it was very chaste at the same time. Typical Tamaki.

He broke off and looked embarrassed, running his finger over the steering wheel as Haruhi giggled. "S-Sorry, Haruhi… that was… sudden… and just—"

"Absolutely adorable?"

"Yes and abs—ah, what?"

Haruhi really laughed this time. She noticed that she leaned forward when she laughed, like Kyoya. "You're too cute. The sudden things are always the best."

"That's right, isn't it? After all, you came into my life so suddenly." He smiled and turned the key in the ignition.

Haruhi shoved his shoulder gently. "Quit being so cheesy, you're embarrassing me."

"Then I will be a constant embarrassment in your life." Tamaki said with a stubborn grin.

"Don't I know it."

The night went on, through a few drinks and casual conversations about things that they hadn't had the chance to talk about in a long time. Haruhi found it, if possible, even more enjoyable than the play. She staggered along back to the car. Tamaki had convinced her into too many drinks, and the city buzzed around her in a rush of sound and color. She clung on to Tamaki's arm to keep steady, but despite the situation, didn't regret getting drunk at all. Tamaki himself was a little buzzed, but sober enough to drive them safely home.

Haruhi briefly thought about how, if she were with Kyoya, she wouldn't have gotten half this drunk. She didn't even have the mind to scold herself for thinking about Kyoya again, as she promised herself she wouldn't do.

Tamaki, that gentleman, was going to just drop her home and then go on his merry way, but Haruhi (especially in her current state) wouldn't hear of it. She pulled him upstairs behind her, and he caught her on a few stumbles on the way up the stairs.

They toppled into her apartment laughing, and Tamaki had barely closed the door when Haruhi overwhelmed him with kisses. She was tired of Tamaki's innocence, his chaste kisses, and his innocent handholding. As sweet as it was, it wasn't the same as…

"Kyoya…" Haruhi gasped as Tamaki nipped a rather sensitive spot by her collarbone. Tamaki stopped abruptly and looked down at her.

Haruhi's eyes widened as she remembered why she didn't get drunk very often. When you're drunk you do stupid things. "Kyoya… wouldn't believe what we're doing right now." She said quickly to cover up the slight slip-up.

Tamaki was very easily fooled, which left Haruhi feeling unbelievably guilty. He grinned. "Yeah, he'd probably laugh."

"Nn." Haruhi agreed with a distant smile, but she had quickly lost any interest in sex. That wasn't just a slip of the tongue, that was a very, _very_ bad slip of the tongue.

She couldn't just overlook something like that. Haruhi stopped Tamaki from taking things any further by backing away from him, hand raised to her temple. "I'm really tired Tamaki, and I'm getting a headache. I think I drank too much…" She said feebly.

Tamaki looked concerned, but of course, he promptly obeyed and buttoned his shirt and fixed hers. He very graciously helped her to bed (when she was faking the entire thing) and shut off the lights. He kissed her lips and then her forehead very gently and promised to lock the door and call the next morning to check up on her. Haruhi smiled weakly and told him where she kept the spare key. She watched his back disappear into the next room and then saw the lights disappear from her living room. Finally, the door clicked shut.

Haruhi's stomach was churning, and it had nothing to do with the alcohol. She couldn't shake the feeling of cheating on Tamaki. She hadn't _really_ cheated on him, but the amount of time she spent thinking about Kyoya sure made her feel that way. It's not like it was intentional. She'd just spent so long caught up in work and not spending time with really any of her friends outside of him, it was only natural that she would remember him every now and then.

But then, thinking about him when she was about to have sex with Tamaki was just bad. That was just absolutely wrong, and she knew it. She could say that his name slipped her as a reflex, considering how many times she'd had sex with him, but really, it was a small consolation.

She couldn't deny that she had to do something with herself before it got out of hand. She was thinking too much about a guy with whom she had simply had a no commitment, thoughtless fling.

But as she stared up at the ceiling tinted silver-blue from the fluorescent streetlights outside, she let her mind wander a little bit. She wondered whether he had managed to finish his paperwork or not…

* * *

The driver was getting tired at this point. It was late, but Kyoya still hadn't given the order to go home. After calling back a few times and not getting any response, he decided to take the initiative and head home anyway. The car felt cold with the backseat empty. There was no laughter resounding from the other side of the tinted glass behind him. It came to a point where he almost missed the panting and gasping that came from the backseat when Kyoya and that girl were obviously partaking in some _questionable_ conduct. Usually it made him extremely uncomfortable, but today's silence was, in some ways, even worse.

When he finally parked in the parking lot of Kyoya's high-end apartment complex, he took some time to lean back against the seat and shake out the kinks in his neck. After a moment, he sighed and exited the car, making his way to the door of the backseat. He pulled it open, expecting to see Kyoya demanding why they had stopped. Instead, he found him fast asleep, leaning against the tinted window with his glasses slightly askew. The fluorescent streetlights cast a silver-blue glow on the rim of his glasses.

He wondered briefly what Kyoya was dreaming about. It was probably about that girl, Haruhi whatever. From what he'd heard, right now she was probably fast asleep in the warmth of her new boyfriend's arms, while Kyoya was probably getting a cramp in his neck from falling asleep sitting up. He sighed. It was a sad sight to see. He shook Kyoya's shoulder gently and the boy awoke with a start, blinking up at him with bleary eyes.

"Wha…?"

"We're home, Ohtori-sama. You fell asleep in the car."

Kyoya fixed his glasses and sat up straight, looking uncomfortable as he moved his head to the left. He'd gotten a cramp, just as predicted. He rubbed his eyes a moment and then just stared at his feet. His face slowly fell, and the driver thought Kyoya had probably just remembered where he was and why he was there. "Thank you, you're done for the night." Kyoya waved a hand dismissively at the driver as he got out of the car at last.

"It was really no problem." The driver said honestly with a bow, but somehow he didn't think Kyoya had heard him

Kyoya's thoughts were probably much too filled with a certain brunette who probably broke his heart. But Kyoya would rather die that even admit that to himself.

* * *

Well, I'm really pushing the T rating on this. XD Unexpectedly, I think the driver's going to become a main character. Maybe I should actually give him a name… lol. Thanks for reading, and review please!!


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